Add a Particle Emitter to Different Parts of a Logo Based on Its Color Range

In this tutorial I will show you how to use a color from a logo as a particle emitter. I will be using the same technique as my previous tutorial to extract colors from a logo. I will then use Trapcode Particular to fake a fire effect on a specific section of the logo with a single click.

1. Creating Background for the Project

Step 1

Create a New Composition. Composition > New Composition

Step 2

Insert the Texture file

Step 3

Apply the following effects on the texture file ( Tint, Curves & CC Glass ) and use the following settings as shown in the picture below.

Step 3

Step 4

Apply Hue/Saturation effect on the stock file and use the following settings for Red channel.

Step 5

Now switch to Yellow channel and use the following settings

Step 6

Switch to Green channel and use the settings below

Step 7

Apply Curves effect on the stock footage

Step 8

Apply Simple Choker effect on the Stock Footage

Step 9

You should see something like this

3. Separating Colors Of The Logo For Particle Emitter Layer

Step 1

Create a new composition & insert your Aetuts+ Logo in it.

Step 2

Create another composition

Step 3

Insert your logo composition in this composition and make a few copies if it.

Step 4

Apply Color Range Effect on the 1st Layer and Select White Color

Step 5

Select Alpha Inverted on the 2nd layer. You will see only white colors. Pre Compose the top layers and name them as White.

Step 6

Apply the same effect ( Color Range ) on the Logo layer under White but this time select the Black color. Since there is no black color in the Aetuts+ Logo I will use 3DOcean's logo just for this and the next step.

Step 7

Select Alpha Inverted and Pre Compose the Two Layers. Name it Black.

Step 8

For this step we can use both the logos because we are going to select booth the colors Black & White for this step.
Apply Color range effect on the next layer under Black and select both the colors black and white.

Step 9

Select Alpha Matte on the bottom layer and Pre Compose these two layers. Name it Colors.

4. Setting Up All The Comps For Final Effect

Step 1

Insert all the Comps we just created. "Background, Emitter, White, Black & Color." Put Background and Emitter Layer at the bottom.

Make Black, White & Color Layers 3D

Step 2

Make a New Solid for Particular. Layer> New > Solid >.

Step 3

Apply Trapcode Particular on this layer

Step 4

Use the following Emitter settings and select layer black as the Emitter.

Step 5

Use the following settings for Particle

Step 6

Use the following settings for Physics

Step 7

Use the following settings for Rendering

Step 8

Apply CC Vector Blur Effect on this Particular layer as well

Step 9

Make another Particular layer and apply the following settings. This will be used for small emitting particles. Use the settings from previous Particular layer but change the settings so they are different like in the Pictures below.

Step 10

Make Two copies of both the Particular layers and change their names to Black, Color & White. This step is important because we would like to emit particles only from our desired colors of the logo.

Step 11

Now change the layer settings in both the Color layers as shown in the picture below.

Step 123>

Again, do the same for both the White Layers

5. Settings Up Optical Flares For More Depth

Step 1

Make a new Solid

Step 2

Apply Optical Flares and use the following flare settings

Step 3

Use these settings for the preview

Step 4

Make another Optical flares layer and use these settings from the menu

Step 5

And these settings from the preview

Step 6

Make a third layer for the Optical Flares and Select Cool Flare from the Motion Graphic Presets

Step 7

Use these settings

6. Setting Up Shadow, Camera & Color Correction

Step 1

Insert a copy of the logo composition under the previous logo Layers. Rename it to Shadow Logo

Step 2

Apply Fill and CC Radial Blur effect on the Shadow Logo layer.

Step 3

Alt+ Click on Amount Stop Watch and type Wiggle(5,10)

Step 4

Create a new Camera. Layer > New > Camera.

Step 5

Add an Adjustment layer and Apply Photo Filter Effect on it.

Step 6

You should see something like this before we get to the final step of this tutorial

7. Controlling Fire On the Logo

Step 1

Make a new Adjustment layer. Name it Fire Control and apply Check Box Control on it Three Times. Effects > Expression Controls > Checkbox Control.
Rename them as Fire On Black, Fire On White & Fire On Color.

Step 2

Remember the Particular layers we named Black, White and Color? 1st Select Both the Black Particular Layers one by one and Press "T". This will bring Opacity Options. Alt+Click on the stopwatch and type this expression.c =thisComp.layer("Fire Control").effect("Fire On Black")("Checkbox")

if (c==1){
opacity=100
}else if (c==0){
opacity=0}

Step 3

Now select both the Color Layers one by one. Press "T" and Alt+Click on the stopwatch and type this expression.

Step 5

Once you have done all the above steps, you can click one by one on each checkbox to see Fire Emitting from different colors.

Remember to switch on the Particular layers if you have switched them off.

Note: The steps in which you made the background and emitter composition, you might want to use different settings if you use different files.

Conclusion

So this is basically it for this tutorial in which we were trying to achieve Fire effects. We created a realistic looking background then created a good looking fire emitter and finally emitted Fire from the different colors of the logo. I hope you learned something useful during this tutorial. We'll see you soon with a new tutorial! Thanks.

I am a telecommunication engineer by trade, but graphic designer by choice. I have a great passion for VFX, video production, photography & motion graphics. I want to continue to improve my skills and hopefully inspire others.